Katie Elizabeth Balsamo will pursue a degree in Nursing at Ramapo College. Ms. Balsamo's dream has been to become a Pediatric Nurse ever since working on her Girl Scout Silver Award at the Children's Specialized Hospital. “Being with these special children made me realize how lucky I am to have my health and gave me the desire and drive to work with sick children so that I might help them achieve the same someday.” Her dream was reaffirmed when her brother was diagnosed with Lyme's Disease and how such an illness can impact the entire family. She says she will provide not only medical support, but emotional empathy as well.

Nia M. Barnett from South Orange, NJ will pursue a degree in Medicine at Xavier University School of Medicine in New York. Ms. Barnett already has an impressive resume with degrees in Psychology from Campbell University in NC and a Master‟s Degree in Counseling Psychology from New Jersey City University plus 10 years of experience. She came to the realization of her medical ambitions after a self evaluation reminded her that providing effective medical care is a necessary part of providing effective psychological care.

Ms. Barnett feels that her patients will have the benefit from a physician who can address both the physiological and psychological needs. “…a holistic focus on the whole man coupled with the sensitivity of an expert in psychology will bring about the long awaited evolution in medical care that the world has been waiting for.”

Shelly Ann DeLuca of Burlington, NJ will pursue a degree at University Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey preparing her for a career as a Physician Assistant.

Throughout her student life, she developed an interest in interest in medicine and related sciences. She also has a deep desire to help others as evidenced by her 16 years as a Girl Scout. “Most gratifying to me have been the hours working with children and patients recovering from surgery, especially to the medically underserved. I have come to realize that in addition to the necessary medical knowledge, empathetic qualities are both significant and desirable to both me and my future patients.”

Thalia Lopez, of Burlington, NJ will pursue a degree in Nursing at Ramapo College this August. She decided to become a nurse after the less than adequate care her aunt received at a hospital in Ecuador while a cancer patient. “

I wanted to major in a subject that will directly help humanity and I believe this is the perfect place to start. There are so many specialties in nursing which I appreciate since I haven‟t yet decided where I want to focus my talents. I have so many options.”

Nicole Rachel Peter, will be pursuing a Masters Degree in Medical Sciences at Yale University. During her first college summer, she rebuilt homes in Laem Pom, a small village in Thailand that was left in ruins after the 2004 Tsunami. “I was inspired by the villagers' strength and eagerness to move on and I was humbled to share in their tears and sweat. Upon returning home to the United States, I pursued a degree in public health at Rutgers and supplemented my work with research working as an intern at the Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience. To gain patient care experience, I became an EMT and learned about the role of Physicians' Assistants. After shadowing a number of PA, I found my niche within health care. Moreover, as our nation reorganizes the health care system, I will be on the front lines alongside those dedicated to battling societal inequities through medicine.”

Whitney Morgan Redline will be pursuing a degree in medicine at Drexel University. Growing up in a rural doctor‟s family gave her a realistic understanding of the many challenges and rewards of this career. While she was inspired by her father‟s passion and dedication to medicine, I was also aware of the sacrifices he made. Through a variety of work and volunteer experiences, she realized that medicine offers everything she could want in a career. “Medicine not only satisfies my desire to improve the lives of others, but also my passion for science and intellectual stimulation.”

Jessica Schneider, Jessica Schneider of Maplewood is working towards her medical degree at UMDNJ and currently volunteers with the Maplewood‟s First Aid Squad. A 2006 Columbia High School graduate, Jessica‟s desire to go into medicine stems from her work on EMS teams. “Definitive care is the mythical end point in EMS. Once the patient is in the hospital, my job is over. I still remember my patients; what happened to them, is Raheem alive or dead? That is why I want to go into medicine; I would like to know the outcomes of my patients and follow-up with them. Definitive care is piecing together the puzzle of their illness or injury and treating the patient to the best of my ability. I want to be a doctor.

Jacob Schwartzman will pursue a degree in Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. He is receiving a special scholarship named in honor of Seth Shaw, a recently deceased son of a nurse working for Enright Trustee and founding president Mark Zimmerman. When Jacob was eight, his mother died of Hodgkin.s Lymphoma or as she called it, "...a lobster." The Russian word for lobster is the same as cancer. "I woke up on March 28, 1997 to some loud noises coming from down the hall. Suddenly my father burst from his bedroom, tears in his eyes.. he took me to my room ad explained everything in three words . .Your mother died.. The helplessness, the pain I felt then and still feel now are the reasons why I have chosen a career in medicine. Medicine goes beyond science, drugs and surgeries. Medicine is a field for people, people who suffer greatly as do those around them; this is the bond that I will have with my patients whether I can cure them or not. All my life I have wanted to look an eight year old boy in th wyes when all hope has been gone for years and tell him, .Your mother will be OK.."

Zoya Talat will pursue a doctorate in Pharmacology at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University. “I chose to pursue a career in pharmacy because as an immigrant from a third-world country, I've witnessed many people suffering from various illnesses as a result of insufficient health care availability and poverty. My own mother was infected with Hepatitis B when a nurse in Pakistan used a contaminated needle to take a blood sample. Because of inadequate health care, my single parent household moved to America. Here she received proper medical care and no longer has the disease. Today she is 60 years old and still living a healthy life only because of the medication she takes daily. Because of this experience, I value the technological advancements of this country and would like nothing more but to give back.”

Naomi Wallis will pursue a degree in nursing at Villanova University. When Ms. Wallis was four years old she maintained a band-aid collection which has morphed into a passion for becoming a “human band-aid nurse.” During her sophomore year in college, she volunteered at a nearby hospital. She noticed the difference between a “gloomy floor” and a happy floor was the patience and care of a good nurse. The health-science prerequisites she took during her undergraduate studies further confirmed her interest in becoming a nurse. “The great American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson had it right when he said, „Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm.‟ He was right and I hope my enthusiasm and passion for nursing will lead me to become a bright and colorful band-aid, and not just a plain tan one.”

Khrystyna Chorniy of Maplewood is pursuing a degree in Nursing at Muhlenberg’s Harold B. & Dorothy A. Snyder School of Nursing. 
A cancer survivor herself (Subcutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma) who has undergone both chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, she experienced first-hand the power of effective and empathetic nurses during what she calls her “grey days” of treatment. 
“My illness made me realize that my passion lays in helping people.   I want to help sick children and want them to have a chance at life just like I did.  I don’t consider myself a victim, but rather a survivor who is destined to do good work
 

Colleen Connor of Basking Ridge will pursue a degree in Nursing at Villanova University. 
Colleen comes from a long line of nurses including her mother, grandmother and two aunts.  She also has an extensive resume of volunteering to help children, fundraising for a variety of causes and shadowing doctors and nurses at Morristown Memorial Hospital.  “Nursing requires a significant amount of dedication and leadership, skills I have acquired over the many years of playing sports and volunteering.  Nursing with a concentration in pediatrics is something I have learned to love and am excited about pursuing.”
 

Christina Council of Trenton is a third year medical school student at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in New York and is preparing for the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam-Step 1 and well on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a M.D. 
“I know that love for medicine is more than just helping those who are ill.  I want to be a physician because I want to have an impact on people’s lives and create change in health related behaviors among entire populations.  As an African American, I am particularly concerned about the health disparities across races, ethnicities, and classes with the United States.  With an increase in diversity in the United States, it is important for physicians to be culturally competent.  Physicians implement change, educate, and inspire all those around them.”
 

Kelly Crowley of Hamilton will pursue a degree in Medicine at the Robert Woods Johnson Medical School.
Ever since she was a small child she has been interested in the human body playing the game Operation and wondering what truly makes up an Adam’s Apple if not a giant green apple.  She also observed her mother, an enthusiastic geriatric nurse, modeling great healthcare professionalism with her patients even attending church with them of various denominations.  “My mother’s dedication has inspired me and is something I hope to achieve.  Recently, I have been volunteering as an EMT which has given me even more experiences which have reaffirmed and encouraged my career path decision” 
“Acceptance into medical school was not an easy task and took a great deal of hard work  and dedication.  While I know that medical school will be full of much more of the same, I look forward with excitement to making my dream of becoming a physician into a reality.”

Elizabeth Louise Gabriel of Maplewood is attending Seton Hall University graduating in May, 2012 with a degree in Nursing.
Elizabeth has wanted to go into healthcare is something she has dreamed about since she was very young.  She chose nursing because while wanting to provide medical care, she also wanted to do it in a holistic fashion that can help a patient thrive.  “As I go through my clinical coursework and take care of patients who I will never see again, I have had experiences that only reinforce why I want to pursue nursing.  There is no feeling like being available for a patient in their hour of need; I wouldn’t trade my career in healthcare for anything.”
 

Kaitlyn Graziano of South Plainfield began her degree in Nursing at Caldwell College in August.
Kaitlyn has always wanted to be a nurse.  How many people do you know would ask their parents for medical supplies in exchange for a good report card?  Since she earned all A’s in third grade, “…my mom would get a kick out of driving me to the nearest medical supply store.  The store owner was the first person to show me kindness by taking my requests, filling up a cart with supplies and not charging for it!” 
“With all my heart, I want to pursue a career in nursing not just to benefit my own life, but to own up to a job that benefits the lives of others.  I may no longer be eight years old, but the deal is still there.”
 

Matthew Louis Listo of Newark has been studying for an MD degree at the New Jersey Medical School in Newark since the fall of 2010 hoping to graduate in 2014.
When his mother fell at work some years ago nothing was easy for Matthew.  With an addicted father and a disabled mother, his family was deeply affected both emotionally and financially.  Though surgeons attempted to help his mother by removing her herniated discs and fusing the spine, a poorly understood chronic pain syndrome remained that weighed heavily on her.  “I realized that if disease could have such a far-reaching impact, so too could the doctor who fights the sickness.  I want to be someone who can heal these illnesses that no one can cure; I believe that they can be overcome through scientific knowledge, ingenuity and passion.  That’s why I am pursuing a career in academic medicine.”
 

Jennifer Murphy of Oceanport is attending the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in the Medical Degree Program.  Jennifer worked this summer as a research assistant at the American Pediatric Society at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and volunteered as a student doctor at the Robert Wood Johnson “Promise Clinic” for patients without insurance from the local community.
Throughout her life, Ms. Murphy has been involved in numerous activities which have steered her towards a career in healthcare.  Her goal to become a doctor began in eighth grade when she applied for a specialized public high school, Allied Health and Science, where she studied anatomy and practical medical skills.  “I loved both the science behind treatment and the art of caring for patients there.”

Inara Omuso of Burlington graduated from Rutgers in 2010 on the Dean’s list and is currently attending New Jersey Medical School in Newark studying for a medical degree.  She has also volunteered for MedLife Lima staffing mobile medical clinics for the rural impoverished area surrounding Lima, Peru. 
“I have always wanted to be a physician ever since her childhood in Minnesota where she and her brother were always in and out of the hospital with seizures, broken limbs or stomach aches.”  Doctors were super heroes to her as were her parents who came to this country from Nigeria and struggled to make a living.  Her father taught her that challenges are not meant to instill fear, but to build character.  “I know that in order to succeed in medicine, I have to be more than just determined; it takes hard work, commitment, time management, communication skills and lots of passion.  After completing my first year of medical school I am driven to become the best doctor that I can be for the people who need it the most.”
 

Ariana Witkin of Maplewood is attending the Mount Sinai School of Medicine majoring in medicine and the Humanities with the goal of becoming a medical doctor equipped to address complex health problems worldwide.  For the past several years, Ariana has been volunteering with communities in need.  From disadvantaged families in Rhode Island or orphans in Ethiopia, Ariana has learned about healthcare issues in underserved communities and is passionate about making a difference in the world.
At Brown University, she majored in Anthropology focusing on the social contexts of disease and healthcare.  She also spent two summers in volunteering in Ethiopia and a semester in Chile.  These experiences have led her to a career in healthcare.  While in Ethiopia she assisted the Worldwide Orphans Foundation develop a summer     camp program for fifty orphans with AIDS.  “It is my belief that my educational path will shape me to be a humanistic and compassionate physician.  Anthropology has taught me the importance of cultural relevance and sensitivity while working in Ethiopia and Chile gave me the opportunity to put those principles into practice. For me, healthcare is the most inspiring way to combine my passions and to promote understanding, well-being and equality.”